SAN ANTONIO — When Duke eliminated Houston at Sweet 16 of the 2024 NCAA Tournament, poor health became a convenient and legitimate source of responsibility. The Cougars didn’t have National Security Guard Jamal Seed. But Houston coach Kelvin Sampson was blamed on that 54-51 season-ending defeat elsewhere.
“The real reason was the free throw line,” Sampson said.
Among the main culprits was J’wan Roberts, who hit 3 out of 8 shots from the stripe. In that crushing loss, three three stretches from the veteran center stripes were particularly contracted. The Cougars’ eight free throws missed the day, leading to a passionate June speech from Sampson, set on the ultimate red spot on Saturday night.
“I don’t know if these guys remember,” Sampson said. “I told them, ‘We have to change our way of thinking with the free throw line.”
This time, the lights are even brighter and there’s a spot in the National Championship Game, with Houston and Roberts more than anyone else getting revenge with the Blue Devils with a 70-67 comeback victory.
Essential to this effort was a pair of free throws from Roberts, with 19 seconds remaining, giving Houston the first lead from the early part of the first half, bringing Roberts a hard-earned redemption. It was part of a 20-second run for Roberts, who collapsed in Houston history. After hitting the biggest free throw of his life, Roberts portrayed the most important defensive mission in Cougars basketball for at least the last 40 years.
Everyone knew that Duke Freshman’s Phenom Cooper Flag would be the Blue Devils chasing the points and getting basketball. And everyone at Houston Huddle knew exactly who would draw the assignment to protect the player of the year.
“There was no doubt he was the right matchup,” Houston assistant coach KC Beard said of Roberts.
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft still finished with 27 points, but was eight of the 19 from the floor in the final eight minutes, one-fifth, due largely to Roberts’ defensive field.
“He’s high hopes, and he’s a weaker sideshot blocker than the ball,” Beard told CBS Sports. “So he knew he wasn’t going to just jump out of his stance and go for a shot fake or a foul. He’s pretty trained in the area.”
Duke got basketball on left field flag with 15 seconds left. Roberts fought through the screen and met face-to-face on the three-point line. Flagg made him big, drove left and met the agile 6-foot-8 Roberts.
Flag turned right and reached the paint and rose for Goahead’s Fellaway jumper with the remaining nine seconds. It was Roberts to fight there. The ball seemed to be hanging in the air forever as the Alamodome held its collective breath.
That’s been shortened. After Houston collected the rebounds with less than four seconds left, Roberts jumped on and skipped, jumping towards the loyal Cougars on the other side of the floor, pumping his arms at the celebration.
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“The goal was to make it as difficult as possible,” Beard said. “We thought about whether to put a man of the size during the game. [Flagg] Like J’wan, it may wear him down. Maybe in that last shot he doesn’t have the legs for it. That’s a kind of hope. He’s very good, he gets 20-30 points, that’s how difficult it is for him to get it. ”
Houston made it difficult enough. It then returned to the free throw line, the source of despair last season. There, a set of free throws from LJ Kryer helped a victory that could have been made possible by the redemption of Roberts in Ice Houston.
“To tell the truth honestly, I went up to the free throw line and I just trusted myself and trusted myself, and I wasn’t too nervous because of the work I put in,” Roberts said. “I try not to respect the size of the stage or the crowd that enters it. I trust myself, focus on my routine, and try to trust my work.”
Sampson told his staff that the Houston player made 150 free throws a day per seven days in June, and how much better the programme in the area needs to improve.
“I don’t think J’Wan missed a day from June 2nd until he left Wednesday,” Sampson said.
“This is the moment everyone was watching tonight,” Sampson added.
Houston ranked 107th in 2023-24 with a free throw rate of 68.7% from 302nd in the nation with a free throw rate of 74.2% this season. Roberts played the role of the hero against the 2025 Blue Devils, taking responsibility for Duke’s losses in 2024, from filming between 51.1% and 63%.
“The mistakes that day cost us,” Beard said. “A year later, the same matchup, the same tight, grindout game… so he can make two of them in that moment.
